Oh, now this just takes the cake.
Going through and finding more stories about FEMA’s mismanagement after the hurricanes in 2004, I ran across this story. It seems some of the women of Homestead, Florida, decided to file a disaster relief claim, despite a complete lack of qualifications. The result? They’re all being sentenced to probation and community work, including one woman who received $24,755 for a sewer backup that occurred weeks before Frances hit Florida.
However, that’s not the worst of it. When interviewed by the South Florida Sun-Sentinal, Quiana Riggins (the woman described above), had this jewel of a quote:
“This is embarrassing,” Riggins said after her sentencing. “It’s like I’m a criminal, and this is my first offense.”
Hey lady, I’ve got some news for you. You are a criminal! You defrauded the government out of $25,000. You stole more money than most bank robbers ever get. You’re lucky your ass isn’t sitting in a jail cell.
It’s times like these I wish they’d bring back the stocks and flogging. Put her in the stocks for a day and let people walk by and jeer at her. Put up a sign with her offense written on it so everyone knows she stole your money. Let the people she lives with know her name and her face and that she isn’t to be trusted.
“It’s like I’m a criminal.” Delusion: it’s not just for crazies anymore.
